SABATTUS — The southbound off-ramp of the Maine Turnpike at Exit 86 will be closed for roughly 21 days beginning Monday, July 24, at 6 a.m.

The closure is required to complete upgrades to the tolling equipment on the ramp.

Upgrades to the other three ramps at Exit 86 are also in progress, but no other ramps need to be closed.

“We tried to minimize the effect on the traveling public as much as we possibly could,” said MTA spokeswoman, Erin Courtney. “We were able to create temporary travel lanes for the other three on- and off-ramps, but southbound-off was too close to a stream, making a closure of the ramp necessary.”

Message boards are in place and will continue to inform approaching travelers of the closure.

The Exit 86 ramp work is included as part of a much larger $6.5 million project, awarded to Lane Construction Corporation of Lewiston. The project consists of pavement rehabilitation and improvements from Mile 80.7 in Lewiston to Mile 88.6 in Sabattus. The overall project is scheduled to be completed this fall.

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